Sandrine Carneiro is not, however, the only Portuguese descendant to shine in these French municipal elections. Paulo Marques himself, president of Civica, was re-elected as vice-president of the Chamber of Aulnay-sous-Bois, and Virginie de Carvalho had already been elected maire Tremblay, in the first lap on March 15th.
Also according to Civica, the number of candidates of Portuguese descent exceeded 35 thousand, more than in previous elections. This universe of candidates reflects “the dynamics of a new generation, made up of children and grandchildren of emigrants, who are actively involved in the civic life of the territories where they reside”, as Paulo Marques explained to Bom Dia, an online newspaper for the Portuguese diaspora.
But it’s not just Portuguese-descendant elected officials who are to be congratulated in these French municipalities. According to data from the French Government, Portugal was the country with the most registered voters in these elections. In total, 115 thousand Portuguese citizens were registered (this number excludes those with dual nationality or only French nationality), followed by 56 thousand Italians and 54 thousand Belgians. As for the number of foreign candidates, the Portuguese are second only to the Belgians, with around 1400 against 1800.
Today the numbers point to more than 560 thousand Portuguese living in France, but if we add Portuguese descendants the numbers rise and vary greatly, going from 1.5 million to 2.5 or even three million. No matter how many there are, it’s good to see that if, like Sandrine Carneiro, they don’t forget their origins, these Portuguese descendants are increasingly involved in French politics and committed to having a say in the future of the country that welcomed their parents or grandparents.
Executive editor of Diário de Notícias
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